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Saturday, January 26, 2013

City Slang: Juggalos keep fighting back

A couple of weeks ago, we published a blog about how Juggalos are coming forward with stories of harassment since the FBI officially labeled them a gang. Here are some more:

“I decided to join the Army and when I talked to my recruiter he asked about my tattoos. I told him I had a Hatchet Man on my chest and ICP on the other side of my chest. I was told that due to the fact that Juggalos were added to the gang list, my tattoos were considered gang tags and I would not be able to join unless I was willing to have the tattoos covered up. So I went and sat through hours of pain to have the two tattoos covered up. If it wouldn’t have been for the Juggalos being added to the gang list, my recruiter said I would not have had to have them covered up. I was and still am greatly disappointed that I was not going to be able to serve my country because of two tattoos I got at an early age being falsely considered gang tags due to the FBI adding the Juggalos to the gang list.” Scott G., Monroe, GA.

“I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles the other day to get my driver’s license and my car has a Hatchet Man sticker on the back windshield. When I got there, the lady who was doing my test told me that I couldn’t use my car because it was ‘gang related.’ I asked her how and she replied ‘You should know. You’re in the Juggalo gang.’ Additionally, I have a Hatchet Man tattoo on my chest and I was denied from joining the military due to the tattoo being supposedly ‘gang related.’ I don’t understand it. I know people who have tattoos of other bands like the Grateful Dead or Lady Gaga – why aren’t they classified like Juggalos are?” Andrew D., Roseland, VA.